Wind-driven display device



y 21, 1963 J. w. ANDERSON 3,090,142

WIND-DRIVEN DISPLAY DEVICE Filed July 22, 1960 I 3 3 JOHN wikZ i N /a. 5 W

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,090,142 WIND-DRIVEN DISPLAY DEVICE John W. Anderson, 578 Broadway, Gary, Ind. Filed July 22, 1960, Ser. No. 44,803 Claims. (Cl. 4039) This invention relates generally to wind-driven display devices and more particularly to devices which are set in motion by the wind to attract attention to commercial displays.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a winddriven display device which, though fully assembled, can be compactly packaged for storage and shipment and yet easily converted to condition for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a winddriven display device which is economical to manufacture and yet durable in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a winddriven display device having two intersecting vanes assembled on a shaft and adapted to be positioned substantially at right angles to each other for use and substantially parallel to each other for storage and shipment, the conversion from one relative position to the other being readily made without removal of the vanes from the shaft.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent after the description hereinafter set forth is considered in conjunction with the drawings annexed hereto.

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the display device partially in section taken substantially along line 11 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the display device partially in section taken substantially along line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view of one of the vanes;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a lower mounting bracket for the vanes showing portions of the vanes in their relative positions for shipment of the device;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view similar to FIGURE 4, but showing the transition of the vanes to their relative positions for use of the device;

FIGURE -6 is a perspective view of the lower mounting bracket; and

FIGURE 7 is an elevational view of a display stand having the device of my invention mounted thereon to attract attention thereto.

The device includes a frame 19, which may be generally rectangular, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. It should be understood, however, that portions of the frame may be extended as desired to form mounting brackets. In FIGURE 7, for example, the sides of the frame have been extended and formed into mounting brackets, as indicated at 12.

A shaft 14 is rotatably mounted in frame 11) centrally and vertically thereof. As shown in FIGURE 1, the lower end of shaft 14 is pointed and rests on a bracket 15 secured to the lower portion of frame 10. It will be understood, however, that bracket 15 may be omitted and the shaft :14 may be extended to be operatively conneoted to another movable display device for the driving thereof.

Loosely mounted on shaft 14 is a pair of intersecting vanes 16, 18, generally flat and rectangular in shape, but having end portions 16a, 16b, 18a, and 18b, respectively, bent over as shown in FIGURE 2. Vane 18 is shown by itself in FIGURE 3. Centrally and vertically thereof, vane 18 is slotted from the top half way to the bottom, as indicated at 13c in FIGURE 3. To provide means for mounting vane '18 on shaft 14, the lower central portion of vane 18 below slot 180 is formed into two semicylindrical portions 18d and 18e projecting laterally from one side of the vane and a semicylindrical portion 18 between portions 181% and Me projecting laterally from the opposite side of the vane. The arrangement can be better visualized by reference to FIGURES 4 and 5.

Vane 16 is similar to vane 18, and is provided with a slot corresponding to slot 180 and semicylindrical mounting portions corresponding to portions 18d, 18, and 18 However, with respect to vane 16, the slot is on the bottom and the mounting portions are on the top, as will be readily understood. The two vanes are not identical, since if vane 16 is placed with the slot upward as on vane 18 in FIGURE 3, the end portions 16a and 16b will project oppositely to end portions 18a and 18b. This is so that when vane 16 is properly oriented with the slot downward, the end portions of the two vanes will extend in the same rotary direction, as shown in FIGURE 2. Thus, the two vanes can be formed from the same die, except for the bending over of the end portions which can be done last as a separate step, and the end portions 161: and 16b then bent oppositely to end portions 180 and 18b with the slots in the same relative position, or the end portions 16a and 16b then bent in the same direction as end portions 18a and 181) with the vanes inverted with respect to each other so that the slots are in relatively opposite positions.

Vane mounting brackets 20 and 22 are provided on shaft 14. Since these brackets are identical, only bracket 22, shown in FIGURES 4, 5 and 6, will be described.

The bracket 22 is formed from a square piece of material, such as sheet metal, having the corner 23 bent over as shown. The corners 23 are provided with slots 24 adapted to receive vanes 16 and 18. If greater stability is desired, the bracket 22 may have a smaller bracket 26 secured thereto. The bracket 26 is provided with bent-over tangs 27 having slots 23 therebetween aligned with slots 24 and adapted to receive vanes 16 and 18.

A collar 30 is fixedly secured to bracket 22 oppositely from bracket 26 and is provided with a set screw 32 for securing the mounting bracket on shaft 14 with collar 30 spaced from the lower cross portion of frame 10 so as not to rub thereon.

A cotter pin 34 is provided at the top of shaft 14 to retain the shaft in the frame 10. The pin 34 also serves as a seat for a compression spring 36 interposed between pin 34 and bracket 20.

Assume that vanes 16 and 18 are in the use position disposed at right angles to each other and that it is desired to place them in position for storage or shipment. The set screw in the collar for bracket 20 is first loosened. 'Ihen bracket 20 and vane 16 are raised against the force of spring 36 until vane 16 is out of slots 24 and 28 in brackets 22 and 26, as shown in FIGURE 5. Bracket 20 and vane 16 are then rotated relative to vane 18 until the vanes are substantially parallel to each other. Upon release of bracket 20 and vane 16, spring 36 causes vane 16 to seat itself in the same slots 24 and 28 of the respective brackets 22 and 26 as vane 18, as shown in FIG- URE 4. The set screw in the collar for bracket 20 is then tightened, and the vanes and brackets are rotated if necessary to align the vanes with frame 10 as shown in FIG- URE 2 with respect to the dotted-line position of vane 18. The procedure is reversed to restore the vanes to position for use.

It will be obvious that wind striking end portions 16a, 18a, 16b and 18b will drive vanes 16 and 18 clockwise in FIGURE 2. When the device is mounted atop a dis play cabinet 41), as shown in FIGURE 7, rotation of the vanes by the wind will call attention to the merchandise in the cabinet.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made in the-same without departing from the spirit of the invention; and, therefore, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact forms, constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. A wind-driven display device comprising a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame, a pair of intersecting vanes loosely mounted on said shaft, said vanes having outward end portions formed to enable the vanes to be rotatably driven by the wind, and a pair of mounting brackets secured on said shaft and adapted to receive opposite axial end portions of said vanes for fixedly maintaining said vanes in a first. position relative to the shaft and to each other, at least one of said mounting brackets being axially adjustable with respect to said shaft whereby both vanes are free for manual pivotai manipulation to a second relatively fixed position with respect to each other and with respect to the shaft.

2. A wind-driven display device comprising a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame, a pair of vanes, each vane having a central portion slotted at one end to receive the other vane for positioning of said vanes in intersecting relationship, the other end of said central portion opposite the slotted end of each vane having mounting means adapted to loosely receive said shaft for pivotally mounting the vanes thereon, said vanes having radially outward end portions formed to enable the vanes to be rotatably driven by the wind, and a pair of mounting brackets secured on said shaft and adapted to receive opposite axial end portions of said vanes to fixedly position the vanes with respect to the shaft in a first position or a second position relative to each other, one of said positions being substantially perpendicular and the other being substantially parallel.

3. A wind-driven display device comprising a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame, and a pair of vanes, each vane having a central portion slotted at one end to receive the other vane for positioning of said vanes in intersecting relationship, the other end of said central portion opposite the slotted end of each vane having in tegral mounting means formed thereon adapted to loosely receive said shaft for pivotally mounting the vanes thereon, said vanes having radially Outward end portions formed to enable the vanes to be rotatably driven by the wind, and adjustable mounting means on said shaft for fixedly securing the vanes to the shaft alternately in substantially parallel and perpendicular relationships to each other, opposite sides of each vane received in axially disposed recesses in the mounting means.

4. A wind-driven display device comprising a frame having a generally rectangular portion, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame and extending through opposite sides thereof centrally of said sides, a pair of generally planar rectangular vanes, each vane having a central portion slotted at one end halfway therethrough to receive the other vane for positioning of said vanes in intersecting relationship, the other end of said central portion opposite the slotted end of each vane having integral mounting means formed thereon adapted to loosely receive said shaft for pivotally mounting the vanes thereon, said vanes having radially outward end portions bent over substantially at right angles to the planar surface to enable the vanes to be rotatably driven by the wind, and a pair of mounting brackets secured on said shaft and adapted to receive opposite axial end portions of said vanes for maintaining said vanes in a first fixed position relative to the shaft and relative to each other, at least one of said mounting brackets being axially adjustable with respect to said shaft to enable one of said vanes to be freed from the other of said brackets for positioning thereof in a second fixed position relative to the shaft and relative to the other vane.

5. A wind-driven display device comprising a frame having a lower horizontal portion provided with an opening and an upper horizontal portion provided with an opening aligned with the opening in said lower portion, a member carried by said lower portion and having a a bearing surface disposed in spaced relation therebelow, a

vertical shaft extending through said openings and having a lower pointed end pivotally supported on said heating surface, a pair of brackets detachably connected to the shaft in vertically spaced relationship between said lower and upper portions, and a vane structure connected to said shaft and held between said brackets whereby the shaft, vane structure and brackets may rotate as a unit on said bearing surface.

6. The device defined in claim 5 in which said brackets are provided with collars having set screws for adjustably anchoring said brackets to said shaft for clamping the vane structure therebetween.

7. The device defined in claim 5 in which said vane structure comprises a pair of vanes rotatably mounted on said shaft and said brackets are provided with inturned vertically aligned slotted portions which receive said vanes to maintain them in predetermined angular positions.

8. The device defined in claim 5 in which said vane structure comprises a pair of vanes rotatably mounted on said shaft, said brackets are provided with portions which receive said vanes to maintain them in predetermined angular positions, and said brackets are provided with means spaced radially inward from said portions which also receive said vanes whereby to assist in maintaining them in said positions.

9. A wind-driven display device comprising a frame, a shaft extending across the frame and having ends rotatable therein, spaced brackets carried by said shaft, a pair of vanes respectively pivotally connected to said shaft and disposed between said bracket, and means whereby the brackets can be held in clamping relation to said vanes for holding the latter in crossed fixed operative positions with respect to one another for simultaneous rotation about the axis of said shaft or holding them in a collapsed inoperative condition for disposition substantially within the confines of said frame.

10. A wind-driven display device comprising: a frame, a shaft carried by said frame, a pair of intersecting vanes each loosely mounted on said shaft, said vanes having portions formed to enable the vanes to be rotatably driven by the wind, and means carried by said shaft for releasable contact with a peripheral portion of said vanes for fixedly securing the vanes in either substantially parallel or perpendicular relationships to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 574,411 G-assett Jan. 5, 1897 710,265 Gibbs Sept. 30, 1902 916,116 Hall Mar. 23, 1909 2,069,110 Naus Ian. 26, 1937 2,693,044 Roemisch Nov. 2, 1954 2,810,223 Fraes-dof Oct. 22, 1957 2,828,566 Cytron et a1. Apr. 1, 1958 

1. A WIND-DRIVEN DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING A FRAME, A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME, A PAIR OF INTERSECTING VANES LOOSELY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT, SAID VANES HAVING OUTWARD END PORTIONS FORMED TO ENABLE THE VANES TO BE ROTATABLY DRIVEN BY THE WIND, AND A PAIR OF MOUNTING BRACKETS SECURED ON SAID SHAFT AND ADAPTED TO RECIEVE OPPOSITE AXIAL END PORTIONS OF SAID VANES FOR FIXEDLY MAINTAINING SAID VANES IN A FIRST POSITION RELATIVE TO THE SHAFT AND TO EACH OTHER, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID MOUNTING BRACKETS BEING AXIALLY ADJUSTABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHAFT WHEREBY BOTH VANES ARE FREE FOR MANUAL PIVOTAL MANIPULATION TO A SECOND RELATIVELY FIXED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND WITH RESPECT TO THE SHAFT. 